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New  York  State  Education  Department 

Division  of  Educational  Extension 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  THE  LIBRARIAN 


OF  A 


SMALL  LIBRARY 


BY 


Zaidee  Brown,  Library  organizer 


PAGE 


Book  selection  3 

Ordering  5 

Accessioning  5 

Pasting  6 

Classification 

Subject  classes  7 

Author  or  name  marks  8 

Catalogues 

Kinds  of  catalogues  9 


PAGE 


Catalogues  ( continued ) 

Catalogue  cards  11 

Arranging  cards  17 

Inventory  18 

Withdrawals  and  replacements! . 19 

Statistics  of  circulation 19 

Pamphlets  20 

Annual  report  21 


ALBANY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 

i9°9 


Eii7r-D8-i2oo  (7-1835) 


NOTE 


This  pamphlet  is  in  no  sense  a manual  for  the  organization  of 
small  libraries  by  persons  not  experienced  in  library  work,  but  is 
merely  intended  as  a guide  to  be  left  in  a library  already  organized 
by  some  experienced  person,  to  help  librarians  and  their  successors 
to  carry  on  consistently  the  system  already  established.  It  has  been 
prepared  especially  for  the  use  of  the  library  organizers  in  New  York 
State.  As  methods  must  vary  according  to  the  size  and  character 
of  the  library,  it  is  to  be  annotated  to  suit  the  requirements  of  each 
case.  The  methods  suggested  are  intended  primarily  for  libraries 
of  a few  hundred  volumes  that  are  not  expected  in  the  future  to 
exceed  two  thousand  volumes,  roughly  speaking.  The  librarians  of 
such  libraries  are  usually  residents  of  the  place  who  give  a few 
hours  a week  to  the  work,  often  without  compensation,  and  who 
may  have  little  or  no  previous  library  training  or  experience.  Some- 
times a library  changes  hands  and  new  librarians  have  no  oppor- 
tunity of  learning  from  their  predecessors  the  methods  which  have- 
been  used.  To  enable  , such  librarians  to  carry  on  the  library  prop- 
erly these  directions  have  been  prepared. 

Any  changes  made  in  these  rules,,  from  time  to  time,  to  accord 
with  the  practice  in  a particular  library,  should  be  indicated  clearly 
in  this  book  for  the  information  of  future  librarians. 

The  following  manuals  give  fuller  information,  examples  of  cata- 
logue cards  and  other  forms. 

Stearns,  L.  E.  Essentials  in  library  administration.  A.  L.  A.  Publishing 
Board,  34  Newbury  st.,  Boston,  Mass.  15c 

Plummer,  M.  W.  Hints  for  small  libraries.  The  author.  Pratt  In- 
stitute, Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  50c 

Dana,  J.  C.  Library  primer.  Library  Bureau,  316  Broadway,  New  York 
city.  $1 


BOOK  SELECTION 


In  choosing  books  for  purchase  it  is  highly  desirable  to  use  the 
book  lists  prepared  specially  for  librarians.  As  a rule  these  should 
be  used  to  supplement  reviews  found  in  magazines  and  newspapers, 
which,  however  informing,  often  express  the  judgment  of  one 
person  only.  These  lists  are  certainly  better  guides  than  advertise- 
ments of  publishers,  who  naturally  do  not  mention  the  faults  of 
their  publications.  The  chance  recommendation  of  an  acquaint- 
ance, often  made  without  real  knowledge  of  the  book,  is  also  of 
uncertain  value.  Some  aids  to  book  selection  are  named  below 
with  suggestions  as  to  their  use.  There  are  many  other  valuable 
lists,  but  for  the  sake  of  brevity  we  mention  here  only  those  fur- 
nished free  to  registered  libraries  by  the  State.  These  lists  are  made 
up  by  comparing  the  opinions  and  criticisms  of  several^  people  on 
each  book,  and  by  reading  the  printed  reviews  of  it. 

i.  A.  L.  A.  Catalog  of  8000  volumes,  published  in  1904.  This  is 
in  two  parts,  the  first  part  being*  arranged  by  subject  and  contain- 
ing descriptive  notes  about  the  books,  with  symbols  showing  their  gen- 
eral character.  Read  the  explanation  of  these  symbols  on  page  48 
of  part  1.  This  list  may  be  used  when  the  library  wishes  to  buy 
more  books  of  a given  sort.  For  instance,  if  the  library  is  weak  in 
United  States  history  and  has  money  to  buy  a few  books,  a choice 
may  be  made  by  reading  the  notes  on  the  different  books,  pages  353 
to  365  of  part  1.  Books  published  since  1904  may  be  found  in  other 
lists  described  later.  By  noticing  the  symbols  already  referred  to, 
one  may  pick  out  the  specially  readable  books,  the  books  suitable  for 
young  people,  the  scholarly  books,  etc.  The  same  method  may  be 
followed  with  other  classes,  such  as  poetry,  housekeeping,  fiction  etc. 
To  find  the  books  on  any  subject,  consult  the  subject  index,  pages 
373  to  403  of  part  1.  The  numbers  given  are  the  class  numbers 
corresponding  to  the  various  subjects.  The  classes  are  arranged 
by  their  corresponding  numbers,  and  the  numbers  are  written  at  the 
beginning  of  each  class.  One  may  also  find  what  number  stands 
for  a given  class  from  the  classification  scheme,  pages  35-46  of 
part  1.  The  A.  L.  A.  Catalog  may  also  be  used  to  find  a descrip- 
tion of  a book  suggested  for  purchase,  to  see  if  it  is  desirable.  To 
do  this,  look  for  the  author  or  title  of  the  book  in  part  2 (which  is 
arranged  alphabetically  like  a dictionary)  and  you  will  find  its  class 
number  at  the  right.  Then  look  for  it  under  its  class  in  part  1, 


4 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


where  there  will  usually  be  a descriptive  note  and  a symbol  showing 
its  general  character.  In  making  the  A.  L.  A.  Catalog , it  was  in- 
tended to  include  most  of  the  books  then  published  which  were 
thought  desirable  for  a small  library. 

For  books  published  since  1904,  the  librarian  may  use  the  annual 
list  of  Best  Books  of  the  year,  and  the  monthly'  A.  L.  A.  Booklist. 

2 Best  Books.  This  list  of  250  titles  is  published  annually  by  the 
New  York  State  Library,  about  midsummer,  primarily  to  aid  the 
smaller  public  libraries  in  selecting  books  published  during  the 
previous  calendar  year.  The  books  are  arranged  by  subject  and 
descriptive  notes  and  references  to  reviews  are  provided.  All  books 
in  this  list  are  recommended,  and  an  attempt  is  made  to  indicate 
by  marking  a,  b and  c,  those  which  might  well  be  chosen  first  by  a 
library  with  very  limited  funds.  An  index  at  the  end  makes  it  easy 
to  find  the  description  of  any  book  known  by  author’s  name. 

This  annotated  list  of  best  books  recommended  for  purchase  is 
based  on  the  Tentative  selection  embracing  four  or  five  times  as 
many  titles,  issued  earlier  in  the  year,  and  sent  to  all  librarians  in 
the  State  and  to  many  beyond  its  borders  to  obtain  expression  of 
opinion  as  to  what  titles  should  be  included  in  the  shorter  list. 
The  Tentative  selection  contains  no  notes,  except  in  an  appended 
list  of  new  editions,  completed  sets,  changed  titles,  etc.  It  is  made 
up  only  after  actual  examination  of  every  book  included  and  many 
omitted,  and  embraces  only  from  a sixth  to  an  eighth  of  the  annual 
output  in  America.  For  the  larger  libraries  it  is  useful  as  a buying 
list.  By  no  means  all  the  books  included  are  recommended  to  small 
libraries,  yet  titles  not  desirable  for  them  under  ordinary  conditions 
might  yield  valuable  suggestions  when  a special  class  needed 
strengthening,  and  its  files,  as  well  as  those  of  the  shorter  recom- 
mended list  should  be  carefully  preserved. 

3 A.  L.  A.  Booklist.  This  is  published  10  times  a year  by  the 
Publishing  Board  of  the  American  Library  Association.  It  is  spe- 
cially useful  for  books  published  since  the  last  number  of  Best 
Books;  i.  e.  for  all  current  publications.  Full  descriptions  are  given, 
and  specially  desirable  books  are  marked  with  a This  list  is 
a valuable  help  in  buying  current  fiction,  as  it  includes  most  novels 
worth  considering  and  indicates  the  good  and  bad  points  of  each. 
An  index  is  published  at  the  end  of  the  year,  and  should  be  kept 
with  the  set. 

These  various  lists  will  be  most  useful  if  kept  together.  A 
librarian  wishing  to  choose  a book  on  a given  subject,  or  to  find  a 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


5 


description  of  a given  book,  could  then  consult  first  the  A.  L.  A. 
Catalog , as  described  above;  then  look  for  later  information  in  the 
file  of  Best  Books,  beginning  with  1904;  and  last  in  the  numbers 
of  the  A.  L.  A.  Booklist  published  since  the  last  number  of  Best 
Books.  It  is  desirable  to  keep  the  back  numbers  of  the  A.  L.  A. 
Booklist,  as  the  file  for  a year  includes  many  more  books  than  are 
found  in  Best  Books. 


ORDERING  BOOKS 

A duplicate  copy  of  orders  sent  should  be  kept  by  the  library, 
giving,  when  known,  the  list  price  and  publisher.  Libraries  expect 
to  receive  at  least  33 J/z  per  cent  discount  on  all  except  net  books, 
and  at  least  10  per  cent  discount  within  the  first  year  after  publi- 
cation, on  books  marked  net.  A convenient  way  to  keep  a list  of 
books  ordered  is  on  slips  of  paper  or  the  back  of  waste  catalogue 
cards.  One  card  may  be  used  for  each  book  and  the  list  kept  alpha- 
betically by  authors.  When  new  books  come  they  should  be  con> 
pared  or  checked  up  with  the  bill  and  with  this  order  list  to  see 
that  all  those  ordered  have  been  received  and  that  the  prices  charged 
are  right.  When  catalogue  cards  for  new  books  have  been  placed 
in  the  catalogue,  the  order  slips  may  be  destroyed.  Leaves  should 
be  cut.  Publishers  will  replace  imperfect  copies  whenever  discov- 
ered. 

When  the  book  is  checked  with  the  bill,  the  cost  may  be  written 
lightly  in  pencil  upon  the  inside  edge  of  the  page  after  the  title- 
page,  without  the  dollar  sign  or  decimal  point.  This  may  be  useful 
in  accessioning.  The  bills  should  be  kept,  chronologically  arranged. 
A convenient  way  is  to  clip  or  paste  them  into  a blank  book. 

ACCESSIONING 

The  accession  book  is  a list  of  all  books  in  the  order  in  which 
they  were  added  to  the  library.  The  lines  should  be  numbered 
down  the  left  side  of  the  page  and  an  accession  number  given  to 
each  book.  No  two  books  ever  have  the  same  accession  number. 
There  should  be  ruled  columns  for  the  items  mentioned  below  and 
a column  should  be  left  for  Remarks.  After  a book  has  been  re- 
ceived and  checked  with  the  bill  and  order  list,  and  examined  for 
imperfections,  it  should  be  entered  in  the  accession  book  and  its 
accession  number  written  in  ink,  or  stamped,  at  the  foot  of  the 
page  following  the  title-page.  The  most  accurate  way  of  entering 
is  to  write  with  the  bill  before  one,  entering  the  books  in  the  order 
of  the  bill  and  taking  the  price  directly  from  the  bill.  Give  date  of 


6 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


entry  (or  better,  date  of  bill)  ; author’s  last  name,  or  name  with 
initials;  brief  title;  volume  number,  when  book  is  part  of  a set; 
source,  and  cost.  By  source  we  mean  the  dealer  of  whom  the 
book  is  bought  or  the  person  who  gives  it.  When  the  book  is  a 
gift,  write  G or  Gift  in  the  cost  column.  By  adding  a serial 
number  in  red  ink,  the  total  number  of  gifts  will  be  shown.  Each 
volume  of  a set  is  given  a separate  line  and  number.  Pamphlets 
are  not  entered  in  the  accession  book.  Magazines  are  entered  only 
when  bound. 

When  lists  are  sent  for  Regents’  approval  in  account  for  public 
library  money,  write  in  the  Remarks  column,  opposite  the  first  title 

on  the  list,  “ Numbers to sent  to  Regents,”  and  then 

give  date.  For  example,  in  a list  of  one  hundred  books  sent  for 
approval,  the  first  title  being  number  62  in  the  accession  book,  the 
entry  would  read  “ Numbers  62  to  161  sent  to  Regents,  June  17, 
1908.”  This  does  not  apply  to  lists  sent  for  approval  in  advance  of 
purchase. 

PASTING  AND  LABELING 

The  following  pasting  may  be  necessary. 

1 Bookplate,  giving  name  of  library.  Place  on  the  inside  of 
the  front  cover.  The  bookplate  looks  better  if  rules  are  not  printed 
on  it.  The  rules  of  the  library,  if  given  in  the  book,  may  be  printed 
on  the  book  pocket  or  on  the  reader’s  card. 

2 Labels.  These,  if  used,  should  be  well  moistened  and  rubbed 
hard  to  keep  them  from  peeling  off.  They  are  less  likely  to  do 
this  if  the  place  where  the  label  is  to  go  is  brushed  with  strong 
ammonia.  The  shelves  look  better  if  all  the  labels  are  at  a uniform 
hight.  A convenient  measure  is  to  make  the  distance  from  the 
bottom  of  the  book  to  the  top  of  the  label  half  the  length  of  a 
catalogue  card.  By  cutting  a notch  out  of  the  card,  it  is  easy  to 
apply  this  measure.  If  the  books  are  marked  with  ink  instead  of 
labels,  this  mark  also  should  be  at  a uniform  hight.  If  a label 
placed  at  this  hight  covers  the  name  of  the  author  or  the  title, 
it  should  be  placed  lower  or  higher,  but  unimportant  printing  may 
be  covered  by  the  label.  In  some  libraries  books  are  marked  with 
white  or  black  ink,  and  labels  used  only  where  there  is  no  plain 
surface  upon  the  back  of  the  book.  The  best  black  ink  for  marking 
is  India  ink.  White  ink,  when  used,  should  be  covered  with  a coat 
of  shellac.  Some  librarians  shellac  all  labels.  White  oil  paint, 
such  as  is  used  by  artists,  may  be  used  instead  of  white  ink.  It  is 
applied  with  a brush  and  does  not  need  the  coat  of  shellac.  All 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


7 


labeling  should  be  as  neat  and  plain  as  possible,  and  the  printed 
forms  of  letters  are  the  best  to  use.  If  the  librarian  can  not  make 
really  good  figures  and  letters,  it  is  perhaps  better  to  write  on  labels 
than  on  the  book  itself. 

3 Book  pockets. 

4 Dating  slips. 

For  examples  of  how  to  paste  in  the  pockets  and  dating  slips, 
see  those  already  in  the  library. 

The  library  should  keep  on  hand  some  good  paste.  Homemade 
paste  is  usually  not  so  good  as  that  which  may  be  bought,  and 
small  jars  or  tubes  of  paste  may  be  obtained  in  most  villages.  It 
may  be  bought  in  quantity  at  less  expense.  The  following  kinds 
are  satisfactory  and  keep  indefinitely. 

Day’s  white  paste,  prepared  by  the  Diamond  Paste  Co.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 
Drawing  board  mucilage,  prepared  by  the  Library  Bureau,  316  Broad- 
way, New  York  city. 

A recipe  for  making  a paste  that  will  keep  will  be  found  in 
Stearns’s  Essentials  in  library  administration,  page  89. 

CLASSIFICATION 

The  books  of  a library  are  to  be  placed  and  kept  in  such  order 
that  a given  book  or  material  on  a given  subject  may  be  readily 
found.  Two  things  are  requisite  to  this. 

1 Subject  classes.  First  separate  all  the  books  into  classes  or 
kinds  of  literature.  This  process  is  called  classification.  In  a classi- 
fied library  all  histories  are  in  one  class,  all  books  of  science  in 
another,  the  books  of  fiction  in  another,  and  so  on,  until  every  book 
is  in  some  class  with  other  books  of  a similar  character.  In  the 
system  here  used,  each  subject  or  class  (except  fiction)  is  repre- 
sented by  a number  which  is  written  on  the  label  and  bookplate  of 
each  book  in  that  class.  Books  for  young  people  have  y before 
the  class  number.  Fiction  has  no  class  number  and  is  simply  ar- 
ranged alphabetically  by  name  of  author.  Fiction  for  young  people 
is  marked  with  a y.  The  classification  scheme  is  given  in  the 
first  part  of  the  A.  L.  A.  Catalog,  pages  35-46.  In  the  card  cata- 
logue are  cards  written  with  red  ink,  showing  what  numbers  stand 
for  the  subjects  already  in  this  library. 

In  classifying  a new  book,  first  decide  what  is  its  main  subject 
or  class,  and  then  look  in  the  alphabetic  card  list  of  subjects  in 


8 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


red  ink  to  see  what  number  stands  for  that  subject.  If  you  are  in 
any  doubt,  look  at  the  shelflist  cards  or  the  books  already  under 
the  number  you  are  thinking  of  and  see  if  they  are  similar  to  the 
one  you  are  classifying.  If  the  library  has  not  yet  any  book  like 
the  one  you  are  classifying,  look  at  the  classification,  pages  37-46 
in  the  A.  L.  A.  Catalog , and  try  to  find  the  right  class.  A book 
should  be  classified  where  it  will  be  most  useful.  If  you  can  not 
find  a class,  look  in  the  subject  index,  pages  373-403,  part  1,  of 
A.  L.  A.  Catalog.  After  selecting  a number  from  the  subject  index 
always  turn  back  and  look  at  it  in  the  scheme  of  classification,  pages 
37-46,  to  see  whether  in  your  library  that  number  may  be  used. 
The  scheme  as  given  in  the  A.  L.  A.  Catalog  is  simplified  for  your 
library  and  the  changes  made  are  indicated  on  pages  37-46.  If  the 
book  is  in  the  A.  L.  A.  Catalog,  the  annual  lists  Best  Books,  or  the 
A.  L.  A.  Booklist,  you  will  find  a subject  number  given  to  it.  Here 
again,  however,  before  using  that  number  you  must  be  sure  to 
look  at  the  outline  of  the  classification  as  used  in  your  library,  to 
see  whether  that  number  may  be  used  by  you.  For  instance,  the 
biography  numbers  given  in  the  A.  L.  A.  Catalog  would  not  be 
used  by  you,  and  you  would  use  only  the  first  three  figures  of  most 
numbers  given.  If  you  start  a new  class  be  sure  to  make  a card 
referring  to  it  in  the  red  ink  index  of  subjects.  If  people  might 
think  of  the  subject  under  two  different  words  such  as  farming 
and  agriculture  make  an  index  card  under  each. 

2 Author  or  name  marks.  The  next  thing  is  to  mark  the  books 
again  with  letters  or  names  so  that  they  may  be  arranged  alpha- 
betically in  each  class.  This  makes  it  easier  to  find  a given  book, 
and  has  other  advantages.  Books  are  arranged  in  each  class  alpha- 
betically by  the  last  name  of  the  author,  except  in  the  case  of  indi- 
vidual biography,  which  is  explained  below.  The  initial  of  the 
author’s  name  is  written  below  the  class  number.-  Of  course,  it  will 
often  happen  that  two  or  more  books,  sometimes  10  or  20,  will  have 
the  same  initial;  but  this  will  not  matter  much,  because  they  will 
all  stand  together,  and  by  looking  at  the  printed  title  you  can  pick 
out  the  one  you  want.  For  instructions  as  to  who  should  be  con- 
sidered as  the  author  of  a book  when  there  is  doubt,  look  at  the 
next  section  headed  Catalogues.  If  there  is  no  author  or  editor, 
use  the  initial  of  the  first  word  of  the  title  no^  an  article. 

Individual  biography  is  arranged  by  the  names  of  the  persons 
written  about,  so  that  all  the  lives  of  one  person  may  come  together. 
It  is  therefore  marked,  not  with  the  initial  of  the  author’s  name, 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


9 


but  with  the  surname  of  the  man  written  about.  For  examples,  see 
individual  biographies  already  in  the  library. 

Write  the  class  number  on  the  bookplate  (if  that  is  customary  in 
your  library),  on  the  book  pocket,  and  on  the  upper  left-hand  corner 
of  each  catalogue  card.  For  the  place  of  the  class  number  on  the 
back  of  the  book,  look  at  the  paragraph  headed  Pasting  and  labeling. 

While  fiction  has  no  class  number,  it  may  b'e  marked  with  the 
author’s  initial  or  the  author’s  last  name  to  make  it  easier  to  keep 
the  books  in  order  on  the  shelves.  Some  libraries  mark  fiction  only 
when  the  author’s  name  is  not  printed  on  the  back  of  the  book. 
In  a small  collection  it  may  be  sufficient  to  arrange  the  fiction  merely 
by  the  initial  of  the  author,  putting  first  all  the  A’s,  then  the  B’s,  etc. 
When  the  collection  becomes  so  large  that  it  takes  long  to  find  a 
given  book  under  this  system,  or  when  it  seems  desirable  to  keep 
together  the  novels  by  one  author,  the  books  should  be  arranged 
more  exactly,  according  to  the  alphabetic  order  of  the  authors’ 
names. 

If  the  library  uses  a charging  system  requiring  book  cards,  these 
should  be  marked  on  the  top  line  with  the  class  number,  with  the 
letter  or  name,  written  to  correspond  with  the  marking  on  the  back 
of  the  book.  On  the  second  line  write  the  author’s  last  name  and 
on  the  third  line  write  brief  title.  It  saves  time  to  the  librarian 
when  books  are  returned  if  the  same  things  are  written  _ on 
the  book  pocket.  These  book  cards  are  used  for  keeping  a record 
of  books  taken  out.  When  a book  goes  out,  its  card  is  kept  and  the 
reader’s  name  or  number  written  on  it.  For  convenience  in  keeping 
statistics,  use  book  cards  for  fiction  of  one  color  , for  non- 
fiction of  another  color  , and  for  unbound  magazines  and 

pamphlets  of  still  another . 


CATALOGUES 

The  list  of  books  in  the  library  is-  kept  on  cards  to  allow  ready 
insertion  of  new  cards  for  additions.  All  catalogue  cards  should  be 
written  as  plainly  as  possible.  Each  book,  or  set  of  books  having 
the  same  title,  is  catalogued  on  a separate  card. 

Kinds  of  catalogues.  The  kind  of  catalogue  and  the  number  of 
cards  made  for  a book  vary  according  to  the  size  of  the  library  and 
the  needs  of  the  community.  One  card  at  least  is  made  for  each 
book  or  set  of  books.  This  card  has  the  author’s  name  on  the  top 
line,  the  surname  being  given  first,  and  the  title  below.  A different 
card  may  be  made  with  the  title  on  the  top  line  and  the  author 


10 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


below.  This  is  called  a title  card.  The  call  number  or  letter  in  the 
upper  left  corner  of  a card  always  shows  where  the  book  may  be 
found  on  the  shelves.  Cards  for  nonfiction  always  have  a class 
number  in  the  corner  and  cards  for  fiction  have  either  an  initial 
letter  or  nothing.  The  absence  of  a class  number  means  that  the 
book  will  be  found  on  the  fiction  shelves,  where  the  books  are 
arranged  alphabetically  by  author.  The  letter,  when  given,  is  the 
same  as  the  letter  marked  on  the  back  of  the  work  of  fiction;  and  is 
usually  the  author’s  initial. 

Following  are  the  principal  kinds  of  catalogues. 

1 Shelflist.  The  simplest  and  most  necessary  list  in  most  cases 
is  a list  of  the  books  in  the  order  in  which  they  stand  on  the  shelves. 
As  the  books  are  arranged  by  subject  number,  the  cards  are  also 
arranged  by  subject.  Such  a list  is  called  a shelflist,  but  may 
also  be  regarded  as  a subject  catalogue.  Besides  serving  as  a 
subject  catalogue,  this  list  is  an  account  of  stock  and  may  be  used 
in  taking  an  inventory  of  the  books,  to  see  that  none  have  been  lost. 
There  is  also  an  alphabetic  card  list,  written  in  red  ink,  of  the 
subjects  represented,  telling  what  number  stands  for  each  subject. 
For  convenience,  these  may  be  called  index  cards,  as  they  practically 
are  an  index  to  the  shelflist.  They  are  arranged  either  at  the 
beginning  of  the  shelflist,  in  an  alphabet  by  themselves ; or  in  the 
alphabetic  list  of  authors  and  titles  described  under  4. 

2 Title  list.  The  list  described  above  may  be  supplemented  by 
a second  list  giving  titles,  arranged  alphabetically  like  a dictionary. 
Such  a title  list  includes  all  titles  of  fiction  and  may  include  striking 
titles  of  nonfiction.  It  does  not  include  such  titles  as  History  of 
England,  Miscellaneous  essays,  etc.  This  list  is  useful  in  find- 
ing a book  whose  author  or  subject  is  unknown.  As  explained 
earlier,  the  number  in  the  upper  left  corner  of  the  card  shows 
where  the  book  may  be  found. 

3 Author  list.  An  alphabetic  author  list  of  all  the  books  in  the 
library  may  also  be  made  to  show  what  books  it  has  by  a given 
author  and  where  they  may  be  found.  This  list  is  also  useful  in 
making  out  orders,  to  avoid  buying  a duplicate  of  a book  already  in 
the  library.  It  may  be  made  in  either  of  two  ways. 

a By  making  a second  author  card  for  each  card  in  the  shelflist 
(the  list  described  above  under  1)  omitting  accession  number  unless 
it  is  used  for  charging.  (The  cards  for  individual  biography  which 
in  the  shelflist  have  the  subject  on  the  top  line  will,  in  this  author 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


II 


list,  have  the  author  on  the  top  line.  For  example,  see  cards  already 
in  your  catalogue.) 

b A shorter  method  is  to  make  a second  card  only  for  nonfiction. 
File  these  author  cards  for  nonfiction  with  the  alphabetic  author  list 
of  fiction  in  the  shelflist,  and  the  result  is  an  alphabetic  author  list 
of  the  whole  library.  This  list  may  still  be  used  as  a shelflist  of 
fiction  for  taking  inventory  by  simply  disregarding  all  the  nonfiction 
cards,  that  is,  all  the  cards  with  class  numbers  in  the  corners. 

4 Author  and  title  list.  The  title  list  (described  under  2)  and 
the  author  list  (described  under  3)  may  be  filed  together  in  one 
alphabet.  The  index  cards  written  in  red  ink  (described  under  1) 
may  also  be  filed  in  this  alphabet  instead  of  at  the  beginning  of  the 
shelflist. 

5 Dictionary  catalogue.  One  or  more  subject  cards  may  be 
made  for  each  book,  having  on  the  top  line  the  subject  of  the  book 
written  in  red  ink,  and  author  and  title  below.  These  cards  may  be 
filed  in  one  alphabet  with  the  author  and  title  cards.  This  makes 
what  is  called  a dictionary  catalogue. 

Catalogue  cards.  Number.  The  number  of  cards  required  for 
each  book  by  the  above  lists  are  as  follows : 

1 For  a shelflist  alone,  one  card. 

2 For  a shelflist  and  a title  list,  two  cards  each  for  all  fiction, 
and  for  nonfiction  with  a striking  title.  One  card  for  other  non- 
fiction. 

3 For  a shelflist,  title  list  and  author  list : 

By  method  a:  two  author  cards  and  a title  card  for  all  fiction 
and  for  nonfiction  with  striking  title ; two  author  cards  for  other 
nonfiction. 

By  method  b : one  author  and  a title  card  for  all  fiction,  and 
two  author  cards  for  all  nonfiction,  with  title  card  when  the  title 
is  striking. 

4 Same  number  of  cards  as  in  3,  the  only  difference  being  in 
arrangement. 

5 Same  number  of  cards  as  3 plus  whatever  subject  cards  are 
made.  This  varies  with  different  books. 

Author  card.1  Give  author’s  name  on  the  top  line,  beginning  at 
the  first  red  line;  the  surname  is  given  first.  As  to  the  fulness  in 
which  the  name  is  given:  If  there  is  only  one  first  name,  this  should 
always  be  written  out.  If  there  is  more  than  one  first  name  you 

1 To  make  explanation  easier,  we  have  used  the  term  author  card  for 
all  cards  giving  first  the  author’s  name,  including  shelflist  cards.  In 
technical  books  on  cataloguing,  this  term  is  not  applied  to  shelflist  cards. 


12 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


may  either  (a)  give  initials  only;  ( b ) write  out  the  first  name  and 
give  initials  for  the  others;  or  (c)  write  the  name  in  full.  If  the 
author  is  known  under  two  names,  such  as  Mary  E.  Wilkins  and 
Mrs  Freeman,  choose  the  one  you  think  best  known  and  make  a 
card  under  the  other  form  of  the  name,  referring  the  reader  to  the 
form  chosen.  For  example, 

Freeman,  Mrs 

to  be  found  in  this  catalogue  under 
Wilkins,  Mary  E. 
and  in  your  catalogue,  see 


If  one  book  is  the  sequel  of  another,  or  if  it  is  one  of  a series 
of  connected  novels,  it  is  well  to  state  this  fact  on  the  lower  part 
of  the  catalogue  card.  In  the  case  of  a series,  the  name  of  the 
series  may  be  written  in  curves  after  the  title,  with  the  series  num- 
ber of  that  particular  book.  Any  kind  of  descriptive  note  may  be 
written  or  pasted  on  the  lower  part  of  the  catalogue  card.  For 
examples,  see  the  following  cards  in  your  catalogue. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


13 


If  there  is  no  author,  use  the  name  of  the  editor  or  compiler  and 
write  editor  or  compiler  after  this  name  on  the  card.  If  there  is 
neither  author  nor  editor,  leave  the  top  line  blank,  writing  the  title 
below,  and  use  the  initial  of  the  first  word  of  the  title,  not  an  article,, 
as  the  initial  on  the  back  of  the  book. 

If  the  book  is  published  by  some  branch  of  the  government  or 
by  a society  or  organization,  the  body  publishing  it  is  regarded  as 
the  author.  This  is  called  the  official  author.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, when  the  whole  of  a public  document  is  written  by  one  man 
he  is  put  down  as  the  author.  A note  should  then  be  written  on  the 
lower  part  of  the  card,  stating  that  the  book  is  an  official  publica- 
tion of  a certain  organization.  For  the  official  author  of  a state 
publication  use  first  the  name  of  the  state,  followed  by  a 
period,  and  then  the  branch  of  the  state  government  issuing  the 
document.  For  example,  New  York  {state).  Forest,  fish  & game 
commission.  For  the  official  author  of  a United  States  publication, 
use  the  name  United  States,  and  then  the  branch  of  the  government 
issuing  the  document.  The  initial  on  the  back  of  a book  for  New 
York  publications  will  be  N,  and  for  United  States  publications  it 
will  be  U.  Many  government  publications  may  be  catalogued  di- 
rectly under  the  title  if  sufficiently  distinctive;  for  example,  Con- 
gressional directory,  Congressional  record,  Farmers  bulletins,  Ex- 
periment station  record,  Consular  reports,  Treaties  and  conventions, 
Monthly  weather  review.  In  such  cases  a card  may  be  made  in  the 
name  of  the  official  author  referring  to  these  titles.  For  example : 

U.  S.  Agriculture  Department,  see  also 
Farmers  bulletins 


34 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


The  list  of  documents  in  the  first  part  of  the  A.  L.  A.  Catalog, 
p.  367-72,  may  be  useful  in  finding  the  names  of  the  branches  of 
the  government.  The  Congressional  directory,  which  may  be  ob- 
tained free  by  applying  to  your  congressman,  also  describes  the  dif- 
ferent branches  of  the  government. 

Write  the  title  on  the  line  below  the  author,  beginning  at  the 
second  red  line,  using  as  much  of  the  title  as  you  think  desirable 
to  show  the  character  of  the  book.  Capitalize  only  the  first  word 
and  words  always  requiring  capitals,  such  as  proper  names.  The 
initial  article  may  be  omitted  when  not  necessary  to  the  sense. 
After  the  title,  give  the  number  of  volumes,  if  there  are  more 
than  one.  In  nonfiction  the  edition  and  date  of  publication  may  be 
given,  if  desired.  These  show  how  recent  a book  is  and  are  useful 
to  the  occasional  student,  especially  in  works  where  the  date  makes 
a difference,  such  as  scientific  books.  In  giving  the  date,  give  date 
at  the  foot  of  the  title-page,  and  if  the  first  edition  of  the  book  was 
published  more  than  a year  earlier,  add  the  date  of  first  publication 
in  brackets.  The  date  of  first  publication  in  this  country  is  the  first 
copyright  date  on  the  back  of  the  title-page.  If  there  is  no  copy- 
right date,  the  preface  sometimes  shows  when  the  book  was  written. 
If  in  doubt  about  what  date  to  give,  do  not  give  any. 

On  the  shelf  list  cards  write  the  accession  number  between  the 
two  red  lines  near  the  bottom  of  the  card.  If  there  is  more  than 
■one  volume  or  copy,  give  the  accession  number  of  each.  For  ex- 
amples, see  the  following  cards  in  your  catalogue. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


X5 


Title  card.  Title  cards  are  made  for  all  fiction  and  for  non- 
fiction when  the  title  is  striking,  such  as  Following  the  equator. 
The  title  is  written  on  the  top  line,  beginning  at  the  second  red  line, 
and  the  author’s  name  below,  beginning  at  the  first  red  line.  If 
the  author  has  more  than  one  first  name,  give  initials  only  on  the 
title  card.  If  there  is  more  than  one  volume  of  a book,  write  the 
number  of  volumes  after  the  title.  Omit  the  articles  the,  an  and  a 
at  the  beginning  of  the  title  on  the  title  card.  If  the  article  is 
necessary  to  the  sense  it  may  be  used  in  parentheses,  but  should 
be  disregarded  in  alphabeting  the  cards.  If  there  are  two  or  more 
novels  in  a book,  a title  card  should  be  made  for  each.  In  such 
cases  write  on  the  lower  part  of  the  card  for  the  second  and  third 
novels  in  the  book,  with  his  or  her,  and  then  give  the  title  of  the 
first  novel  in  the  book.  For  examples  in  your  catalogue,  see 


This  is  especially  desirable  when  only  the  title  of  the  first  novel 
is  printed  on  the  back  of  the  book.  If  the  title  begins  with  some 
words  not  usually  used  in  speaking  of  the  book,  omit  these  and 
make  the  title  card  under  the  name  usually  used.  For  instance,  if 
the  title  reads  Life  and  adventures  of  Martin  Chuzzlewit,  use  for 
the  title  simply  Martin  Chuzzlewit. 

The  title  cards  made  should  be  indicated  either  on  the  shelf  list 
card,  or  the  author  card  in  the  alphabetic  list  of  authors.  This  is 
called  tracing  the  card  and  enables  one  to  readily  remove  from 
the  catalogue  all  cards  for  a lost  book  or  for  one  whose  number 
is  changed.  A simple  way  of  tracing  is  to  make  two  dots  on  the 
author  card  under  the  first  word  that  appears  on  the  title  card.  If 
there  are  several  novels  in  the  book  and  title  cards  have  been  made 
for  each,  dots  should  be  used  upon  the  author  card  under  the  first 
word  of  each  title.  The  accession  number  need  not  be  given  on  the 
title  cards. 


l6  NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 

Subject  cards  for  parts  of  a book.  It  often  happens  that  a book 
on  one  subject  contains  material  on  another  subject,  or  a book  may- 
consist  of  miscellaneous  essays  on  various  subjects.  The  book  is 
of  course  classified  according  to  its  main  subject,  but  it  would  be 
very  useful  if  the  other  material  might  be  readily  found  when 
wanted.  Often  a library  has  no  whole  book  on  a given  subject,, 
but  it  may  be  discussed  in  chapters  of  two  or  three  books  scattered 
in  various  classes.  Unless  some  record  is  made,  such  material  can 
be  found  when  wanted  only  if  the  librarian  happens  to  have  read 
and  remembered  the  books ; and  manifestly  all  librarians  have  limita- 
tions. It  is  better  to  make  subject  cards  for  such  portions  of  books,, 
when  the  librarian  has  time.  The  work  is  interesting  and  will  add 
greatly  to  one’s  knowledge  of  the  books  in  the  library.  It  may  be 
kept  for  those  hours,  if  such  there  be,  when  other  work  is  not 
pressing.  Such  cards  for  portions  of  a book  are  called  analytical 
cards , or  analyticals,  because  they  analyze  the  book  into  its  parts. 
To  make  such  a card  for  an  essay,  say,  in  a given  book,  write,  on 
the  top  line,  beginning  at  the  second  red  line,  the  subject  of  the 
essay.  Use  that  word  to  express  the  subject  which  you  think  people 
will  be  most  likely  to  think  of.  Having  once  adopted  a given  word 
to  express  a given  subject,  always  use  that  word  in  making  other 
cards.  For  instance,  if  you  have  made  a card  under  Agriculture 
do  not  make  the  next  one  under  Farming.  Having  written  the 
subject  on  the  top  line  in  red  ink,  write  below,  beginning  at  the 
first  red  line,  the  name  of  the  author  of  the  essay.  On  the  line 
below,  beginning  at  the  second  red  line,  write  its  title.  After  this 
in  parentheses  write  In  his  and  then  give  the  name  of  the  whole- 
book.  Give  the  page  where  the  essay  is  found.  If  the  whole  book 
is  by  some  other  person,  use  that  person’s  name  instead  of  the 
pronoun  his.  In  the  upper  left  corner  of  the  card  write  the  class- 
number  and  initial  letter  of  the  book,  which  shows  where  it  may 
be  found  on  the  shelves.  Whenever  you  look  up  a subject  for  an y 
one  and  find  part  of  a book  on  it,  it  is  well  to  make  such  a card,  as 
a memorandum  for  future  use.  For  examples  in  your  catalogue,  see 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


17 


These  cards  had  better  be  filed  in  the  same  alphabet  with  the 
cards  in  red  ink  that  index  the  shelflist.  This  will  bring  together 
all  the  material  on  one  subject.  If  you  have  a general  index  card 
referring  to  the  shelflist  under  a given  subject,  and  an  analytical 
card  on  the  same  subject,  file  the  analytical  card  after  the  general 
card.  Then  write  on  the  general  card  “ See  following  cards  for 
additional  material  on  this  subject^  If  much  of  this  analytical 
work  is  done,  a rubber  stamp  could  be  bought  which  would  print 
that  sentence. 

Two  such  cards  would  read  as  follows. 


General  index  card:  Astronomy 

See  books  in  class  520 
See  following  cards  for  additional 
material  on  this  subject 


Analytical  card: 

824 

H 


Astronomy 
Howell,  Joseph 

How  to  find  the  constellations 

(In  his  Miscellaneous  papers.  Page  41) 


It  is  well  to  trace  each  subject  analytical  made  for  a given  book 
by  writing  the  name  of  the  subject  on  the  back  of  the  author  card, 
or  the  shelflist  card  if  there  is  no  author  list  in  the  library.  Then 
if  a book  is  withdrawn  all  its  cards  may  be  taken  out  of  the  cata- 
logue. 

Arranging  cards.  1 Shelflist.  Arrange  shelflist  cards  having 
class  numbers  in  the  corner  according  to  number.  The  cards 
having  the  same  number  should  be  arranged  alphabetically  by 
author.  For  example,  first  place  together  all  the  cards  in  class 
220  and  then  arrange  them  alphabetically,  then  the  cards  in  230 
arranged  alphabetically,  etc.  Now  put  them  in  their  proper  places 
in  the  shelflist,  always  arranging  first  by  number  and  then  arrang- 
ing all  the  cards  of  one  number  alphabetically  by  author.  The 
alphabeting  must  not  be  by  the  first  letter  only,  but  should  be 
carried  out  as  in  a dictionary.  If  there  are  decimal  fractions  of  a 
number,  these  indicate  subdivisions  of  the  subject  represented  by 
the  whole  number  and  are  filed  immediately  after  this  whole  num- 
ber. For  example,  first  comes  973,  then  973.2,  973.3  etc.  and  then 
comes  974. 


1 8 NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 

2 Alphabetic  lists.  The  alphabetic  author  and  title  lists  are  ar- 
ranged first  according  to  what  is  on  the  top  line.  When  the  top 
line  is  the  same  for  two  cards  (as  when  there  are  two  cards  for 
the  same  author)  they  are  arranged  according  to  what  is  on  the 
line  below.  The  alpha'beting  must  be  followed  out  as  in  a diction^ 
ary.  An  article  at  the  beginning  of  a title  is  disregarded,  but  in 
the  middle  of  a title  it  is  regarded  in  the  alphabeting. 

If  one  word  forms  the  first  part  of  another  word,  the  shorter 
word  comes  first  regardless  of  the  word  following.  For  example, 
New  York  comes  before  Newark.  That  is,  nothing  comes  before 
something. 

If  authors  and  titles  are  in  one  alphabet,  rind  an  author  and  a 
title  card  begin  with  the  same  word,  the  author  card  comes  first. 
In  filing,  it  is  well  to  put  the  cards  in  place  first  without  pulling- 
out  the  rods,  so  that  the  cards  project.  Then  go  over  them  to  make 
sure  that  they  are  in  the  right  places,  before  pulling  out  the  rods 
and  locking  them  in. 

INVENTORY 

The  books  in  the  library  should  be  examined  occasionally,  pre- 
ferably at  least  once  a year,  to  see  that  none  are  lost.  At  the  same 
time  any  mistakes  that  may  have  crept  into  the  shelflist  will  be 
found.  It  is  not  necessary  to  call  in  all  the  books  to  take  an 
inventory.  The  books  should  first  be  put  in  exact  order  on  the 
shelves.  Then  one  person  should  read  the  list  of  books  aloud  from 
the  shelflist  while  another  looks  to  see  if  the  books  are  on  the 
shelves.  One  person  can  of  course  do  the  work,  but  it  is  much 
easier  with  two.  If  the  library  uses  Cutter  numbers,  only  those 
numbers  need  to  be  read.  If  it  does  not  (and  they  have  not  been 
suggested  in  these  directions)  it  will  be  necessary  to  read  class- 
number,  author  and  enough  of  the  title  to  identify  the  book. 
When  a title  is  read  which  is  not  on  the  shelves,  the  person 
looking  at  the  shelves  says  “ Out  ” and  the  person  reading  writes 
down  the  class  number  and  the  accession  number  if  this  is  used 
for  charging,  with  author  and  title.  When  all  the  shelves  have- 
been  read,  the  list  of  books  not  on  the  shelves  is  compared  with 
the  list  of  books  loaned,  and  those  found  regularly  charged  to  some 
one  are  crossed  off.  Those  remaining  are  missing  and  should  be 
diligently  searched  for.  If  after  several  months  they  arfe  not  found, 
they  should  be  crossed  off  in  the  accession  book  and  Missing  and' 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


*9 


the  date  written  in  the  Remarks  column.  If  worth  replacing,  a 
new  copy  should  be  bought ; if  not,  they  should  be  withdrawn  from 
all  records  [see  Withdrawals  and  replacements]. 

WITHDRAWALS  AND  REPLACEMENTS 

If  a book  is  withdrawn  and  not  replaced,  all  its  cards  should  of 
course  be  taken  from  the  catalogue.  Keep  a few  pages  at  the  end 
of  the  accession  book,  or  in  a separate  blank  book,  for  a record  of 
books  withdrawn.  This  is  to  include  both  those  that  are  replaced 
and  those  that  are  not.  Number  the  lines  on  the  pages,  giving  a line 
to  each  volume  withdrawn.  If  this  record  is  kept  from  the  begin- 
ning, or  from  some  time  when  an  actual  count  of  books  is  made,  it 
will  give  the  total  number  of  volumes  withdrawn.  By  substracting 
this  total  from  the  total  in  the  accession  book,  the  present  number  of 
books  in  the  library  will  be  known.  In  writing  this  record  of  books 
withdrawn,  give  date  when  the  book  is  withdrawn,  brief  author 
and  title,  accession  number,  and  reason  for  withdrawal  if  you  wish. 

When  a book  withdrawn  is  replaced  by  a new  copy  of  the  same, 
write  Repl.  or  Replaced  after  the  title  in  the  Withdrawal  record. 
Cross  off  the  accession  number  of  the  old  copy  in  the  accession 
book,  and  in  the  Remarks  column  write  Replaced  by  no.  — . Enter 
the  new  copy  in  the  accession  book  with  a new  number,  and  in  the 
Remarks  column  write  Replaces  no.  — . Change  the  accession 
number  on  the  shelf  list  card  by  drawing  a line  through  the  old 
number  and  writing  the  new  one.  The  book  card  of  the  old  copy 
should  be  kept  and  placed  in  the  new  book.  If  the  accession  num- 
ber is  given  on  the  book  card  it  must  of  course  be  changed.  When 
you  put  the  old  book  card  in  the  new  copy,  write  Replaced  after 
the  last  charge  on  the  card. 

STATISTICS  OF  CIRCULATION 

A record  should  be  kept  of  the  number  of  volumes  of  fiction  and 
nonfiction  circulated,  and  also  of  unbound  magazines  and  pamphlets. 
Each  of  these  classes  may  be  separated  into  juvenile  and  adult,  if 
desired.  The  manner  of  keeping  this  record  will  depend  upon  the 
charging  system.  Where  a system  is  used  that  has  a book  card,  the 
easiest  way  is  to  count  the  cards  at  the  end  of  each  day,  and  put 
the  totals  by  date  in  a table,  where  they  can  readily  be  added  up. 
They  may  be  added  up  at  the  end  of  each  month  or  quarter  and  the 
totals  entered  in  a table,  where  they  can  easily  be  added  for  the 
annual  report. 


20 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


PAMPHLETS 

Pamphlets  should  not  be  allowed  to  accumulate,  but  should  be 
looked  over  as  soon  as  they  come.  Keep  only  what  may  be  useful. 
If  you  receive  regularly  some  publication  that  you  do  not  want,  send 
notice  to  the  office  sending  it.  Ask  if  they  w?sh  you  to  return 
copies  you  already  have  at  their  expense.  This  is  done  for  some 
government  documents.  Decide  what  is  the  main  subject  of  the 
pamphlet  and  mark  the  class  number  on  its  upper  corner.  Write 
or  stamp  on  the  cover  the  name  of  the  library,  and  place  the 
pamphlet  with  books  having  the  same  number.  It  is  best  to  use  a 
box  for  this  purpose  if  one  of  the  right  shape  can  be  obtained.  A 
heavy  pasteboard  box,  backed  with  white  paper  9^x7x434  inches 
will  be  made  by  any  box  factory  for  $3.50  per  hundred.  The  open- 
ing should  be  on  the  long  narrow  side. 

A few  thin  pamphlets  on  the  same  subject  may  be  kept  in  a folder 
of  heavy  paper,  or  they  may  be  placed  between  two  pieces  of  card- 
board and  tied  like  a parcel.  It  is  then  easier  to  place  them  with 
books  on  the  same  subject.  A box  or  folder  containing  pamphlets 
should  be  marked  with  the  class  number  and  a general  title, 

Pamphlets  on  . If  you  put  a pamphlet  in  a class 

in  which  there  are  no  pamphlets  as  yet,  make  a general  card 
for  the  shelflist,  giving  class  number  in  the  corner  and  saying  Pam- 
phlets on . When  you  think  a pamphlet  is  out  of  date  or  no 

longer  useful,  discard  it.  As  the  pamphlets  are  not  entered  on 
your  accession  book  nor  included  in  the  count  of  books  in  the 
library,  this  is  a simple  matter.  This  is  specially  desirable  with  old 
college  catalogues,  etc.  after  new  ones  come.  Pamphlets  that  are 
worth  it  may  be  bound  in  cardboard  covers,  and  marked  on  the 
back  with  author  and  title.  They  should  then  be  treated  in  all 
respects  as  if  they  were  books.  If  several  pamphlets  or  leaflets 
are  bound  together  in  the  same  cover,  a common  title-page  may  be 
written  and  fastened  in  front,  saying  Pamphlets  on . 

If  any  one  wishes  to  take  out  a pamphlet,  in  a library  where  book 
cards  are  used,  a temporary  book  card  may  be  made  giving  the  class 
and  name  of  the  pamphlet,  and  when  the  pamphlet  is  returned  this 
may  be  put  in  it  for  use  again.  Neither  pamphlets  nor  unbound 
magazines  are  to  be  included  in  the  count  of  volumes  circulated, 
but  should  be  added  in  the  annual  report  at  the  foot  of  the  page  in 
a separate  count. 


DIRECTIONS  FOR  A SMALL  LIBRARY 


21 


ANNUAL  REPORT 

A report  of  the  work  of  the  library  is  sent  to  the  Regents  once  a 
year  on  blank  forms  furnished  for  that  purpose.  Usually  the  library 
year,  like  the  school  year,  begins  July  i and  ends  June  30.  If 
another  date  is  regularly  adopted  by  the  library  for  local  reasons,  it 
should  be  plainly  indicated  on  the  top  line  of  the  report.  The  im- 
portant items  are  the  Number  of  books,  the  Additions  for  the  year, 
the  Circulation  of  fiction  and  the  Total  number  of  books  circulated. 
If  children’s  books  are  kept  and  charged  by  themselves,  they  may  be 
separately  reported  in  their  own  column  and  also  included  in  the 
total.  The  separation  of  children’s  books  is  not  required.  The  cir- 
culation of  magazines  or  other  unbound  material  may  be  separately 
noted  at  the  foot  of  the  page  or  elsewhere  on  the  blank,  but  should 
not  be  included  in  the  general  total. 

Note  carefully  the  Rides  for  counting  circulation  printed  on  the 
report  blank. 

The  items  of  money  received  and  of  money  paid  out  are  also 
important,  and  the  names  of  library  trustees  should  be  given. 

Such  a report  after  being  signed  by  the  librarian  and  certified  by 
the  president  (or,  in  his  absence,  by  the  vice  president  or  one  of 
the  trustees)  should  be  sent  to  the  Division  of  Educational  Exten- 
sion at  Albany  as  early  in  July  as  it  can  be  conveniently  prepared. 
Under  Regents  rules  this  report  is  due  August  1,  and  if  delayed  be- 
yond September  20,  without  sufficient  excuse,  the  right  to  receive 
public  money  during  the  following  year  is  forfeited.  With  careful 
attention  to  the  accession  book  and  the  daily  and  monthly  records  of 
circulation  and  money  account,  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in 
making  up  all  the  items  required  within  one  week  after  the  close  of 
the  year.  It  will  in  fact  be  found  much  easier  to  give  the  matter 
prompt  attention  than  to  postpone  it. 

It  will  be  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  the  annual  report  is  intended 
to  show  just  how  matters  stand  at  the  close  of  business  on  June  30. 
Anything  added  the  next  day  or  the  next  week  or  month  belongs 
with  the  report  of  the  succeeding  year. 

If  the  library  has  received  money  from  the  State  for  buying 
books,  a list  of  books  bought  with  this  money  and  with  the  equal 
amount  locally  supplied,  should  be  copied  from  the  accession  book 
showing  the  cost  of  each  book  and  sent  with  the  annual  report  for 
approval.  If  all  the  money  has  not  been  spent  the  books  already 
bought  should  be  reported  and  an  additional  list  sent  later,  before 
asking  for  another  grant.  Lists  of  books  requiring  approval  must 


22 


NEW  YORK  STATE  EDUCATION  DEPARTMENT 


be  submitted  within  one  year  from  the  payment  of  the  State  allot- 
ment. 

Libraries  that  wish  to  do  so  may  also  submit  for  advice  and  ap- 
proval lists  of  books  which  they  intend  to  buy. 

An  exact  copy  of  the  annual  report  is  kept  by  the  library  to  be 
consulted  in  making  the  next  report,  in  order  to  insure  agreement 
between  the  two. 

Finally , remember  that  the  State  library  is  ready  to  give  advice  or 
help , even  on  minor  matters. 


